Odd One Out
by Night-the-Dragon
Summary: Roxas is a neko, the only one is existence in a long time. Everyone accepts him except for Seifer & his gang, and the new kid, Axel. After some encounters, Roxas hates Axel, but then Axel makes a confession. The pair start dating, and their relationship goes further, and things change into something Roxas had kept a secret from everyone. Yaoi mpreg AkuRoku SoRiku mentions of Zemyx.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Okay, this is my newest AkuRoku fic, and I think it's a good one. When I was writing out the story idea, it became a lengthy one, so hopefully this will be a long fic! All from Roxas's POV, so I hope you like it. Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story.

Odd One Out

Chapter 1

"Morning Roxas! Time to get up!" my twin brother cried loudly from my door.

"Muh, tired, don't wanna," I grumbled, folding my ears back in annoyance.

"Sora, go get your breakfast, I'll take care of Roxas," my mom's voice said. Sora went downstairs, and I heard Mom come over to my bed. "Roxas, I highly doubt you'll want to sleep in today."

"Why's that?" I mumbled into my pillow.

"Because we're having eggs, bacon, and pancakes for breakfast this morning," she whispered into my furry ear, and I sat up so quickly, I nearly smacked my mom in the face with my head.

"Oops! Sorry, Mom," I apologized.

"It's okay, as long as you didn't actually hit me, sweetie," she laughed lightly. I grinned at her before she left, leaving me to get dressed. I love pancakes, especially when my parents make them. Restaurants have nothing on my parents' pancakes. Nothing can beat them, NOTHING!

Anyway, I quickly undressed from my pajamas, pulling on a pair of dark blue jeans, being careful so I could slip my tail through the hole in the back. Yes, I have a tail, and yes, I have furry ears. Wanna know why? It's 'cause I'm a neko, which is part cat, part human. And I'm the first one in decades, apparently. The last neko recorded in history was actually around 138 years ago.

I pulled on my shirt, a pale grey that shimmered slightly in the light and had a pair of keys crossed in an "X" shape on the front. It was cool, so I wore it often. When I finished getting my socks on, I ran downstairs, eager to join my twin in the deliciousness of pancakes.

"What took ya so long, Rox?" Sora asked, his mouth full. Dad whacked him gently on the back of his head, making him whine. "Daaaad!"

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Dad scolded, and looked at me.

"I was tired until Mom told me there were pancakes," I grinned. My dad shook his head in disbelief.

"I swear, that word will always wake you up," he muttered, and then set down my plate. I was practically drooling as I sat down, and then began to wolf down my breakfast. As I ate, I thought about how school would go today. It was the first day back from summer break, so I'm sure things would be interesting. Sora and I were juniors this year, and Sora's boyfriend, Riku, was now a senior. Hopefully the new freshmen would accept me. But then again, everyone did, except for Seifer and his gang…

I finished eating, and then got up, ran upstairs, grabbed my messenger bag with my school stuff, and then dashed back downstairs. I paused by the door when I didn't hear the sound of Riku's car. Slowly, I put my shoes on, and then smirked as I heard Riku's car pull into the driveway.

"Riku's here!" I hollered, and then laughed as there was a sudden scrambling in the upstairs hallway from my twin.

"RIKU!" Sora shrieked, and bolted outside as a brown blur, smacking right into his boyfriend. The silverette chuckled as he stumbled back a bit from the force Sora had used.

"Heya Sora," he greeted, and kissed his forehead. I smiled at our friend since childhood.

"Hi Riku," I said with a small wave.

"Hey Roxas, you ready for school?" he asked me.

"Yup, just was waiting for Sora," I laughed. My twin pouted at me as I laughed.

"Roxas, I was close to being ready!" he protested.

"Yeah, only once I told you that Riku was here," I pointed out. Sora pouted until Riku hugged him. "Anyway, let's get going, or else we'll be late on our first day back."

"Right, let's go," Riku agreed, and we got in his car with our stuff and left.

When we arrived, we went straight to our usual hangout area behind the school, where our two real friends were waiting.

"Hiya Sora, Roxas, and Riku!" Demyx chirped, waving his arm enthusiastically while his boyfriend, Zexion, sat beside him and nodded to us in greeting.

The sandy blonde and the slate haired teen were the only true friends we had in the school. Even though everyone but Seifer and his gang were nice to us, Demyx and Zexion were genuine friends. They weren't kind to us just for the hell of it; they were kind because they actually wanted to be friends with us. Being around them always made my day, too, because Demyx was always so positive and bright while Zexion is practically his opposite, except that he's always very good at giving advice. Zexion may be a bit pessimistic, but he's kind in his own way. Oh, and while Demyx is a senior this year, Zexion is a junior.

"Hi Demyx, hi Zexion," I said, smiling at them. My ears twitched when I heard the warning bell ring.

"Already?! But we just got here!" Sora complained.

"Yeah, but we were running a little late this morning, Sora," I reminded the brunette. He sighed heavily, and we left with Zexion to get our schedules and go to class. He already had his, so the slate haired teen merely followed us as we went to get ours. When we got our schedules, Sora and I compared them, seeing if we had the same classes together like last year; we did. Sora started to lead us to our first class, language arts, and I fell back to chat with Zexion.

"How was your summer, Zex?" I asked, and he looked at me with his visible eye. The other one was covered by his bangs.

"It was fine," he shrugged. "My parents took me to Destiny Islands with them for a few weeks, and that was fun."

"Let me guess: it's because they brought Demyx with you guys, huh?" I assumed, and he blushed ever so slightly. "I knew it!"

"Hush," he muttered, and looked ahead. "We'd better keep it down, Roxas, or else we'll be in trouble with Tifa." I nodded silently, and then we went into the classroom, barely making it to our seats before the bell rang. We sat in the back, with me in the corner, Zexion in front of me, and Sora to my right. As soon as the bell rang for class to start, Tifa entered. She always taught every English class in the school, and she would take them in different times. Juniors first period, seniors third period, freshmen fifth period, and sophomores seventh period. It sucked for the sophomores because they would have to wait and take her last in the day.

"Good morning, class!" Tifa greeted as she walked in. "How was everyone's summer?" A chorus of positive replies rang out in response. "That's great to hear, because I have your first assignment." There was a chorus of synchronized groans throughout the classroom. "But it's not a five page essay or anything. It's only a two page essay on what you did over the summer break. Extra credit if you write more. It has to be typed, size 12 font, and no margin changes. Indented, single-spaced, and a size 12 font for the title and your name. It's due this Friday, so in three days. Understand?" We all muttered a confirmed answer, and she nodded. "Good. Now, on to the lesson…"

Tifa had us take notes on what to expect for the year, and then more notes on how to write out the essay. Finally, the bell rang, signaling the end of the class, and everyone quickly grabbed their shit and ran for the door. Sora, Zexion, and I waited until the crowd had died down until we left.

Zexion split off from us, heading to his second period, which was tutoring with other students. He helped with tutoring students who were having a hard time in certain classes, and they always appreciated his help. Meanwhile, Sora and I went to gym, where our teacher, Zack, was waiting for us all to finish filing in.

"Heya Sora, Roxas!" he greeted. Zack was a good friend of our dad, and he was always nice to us. The raven haired man had known us since we were toddlers, after all.

"Hi Zack!" we replied in unison.

"How was your guys' summer?" he asked, ruffling our hair.

"It was great! Mom and Dad took us to the Struggle tournament, and Roxas won!" Sora crowed.

"Ah, I thought I heard about that," Zack chuckled. "It's good to know that Cloud and Aerith are making sure you guys have fun."

"Of course they are," I assured him. "Why wouldn't they?"

"I dunno," he shrugged with a laugh. "All right, you two, get your gym clothes on, and we'll get started."

"Okay," we nodded, and ran into the changing room, where we threw on our gym shorts and shirts before running back outside to join Riku. Even though the grades are usually separate in classes, they mix them up in gym. Demyx and Zexion had already finished their required amount of gym credits, so they didn't need to take this class.

"All right, class, get ready to work out, because you'll all be doing an obstacle course today!" Zack informed everyone, and while some students groaned, most of us cheered, the freshmen looked confused.

I noticed a few staring at me and my ears and tail, and my ears twitched in annoyance. The tip of my tail flicked as well, making them look away, embarrassed. We got up and started to make our way to the obstacle course outside, where we lined up in a bunch of small groups. Riku, Sora, and I were one group, and everyone else packed together, looking confused. I grinned at the sight of the obstacle course; it was my favorite, seeing as I'm really agile because of me being a neko.

Finally, as soon as everyone was separated into groups, Zack yelled out directions before blowing on his whistle, and the first set took off. Sora was in the first set, and he ran as fast as he could to the first obstacle, the tunnel. He was the first in and the first out, and then made his way to the balance beam. Once again, first off. The third obstacle was crawling through a sort of tunnel made of tied-up tires. The brunette scrambled through it before bolting to the rock wall and climbing up it rapidly. Sora had a huge lead on everyone, and then he paused before climbing down the other side. My twin was the first one through, and he beamed at Riku and me before going to Zack.

"Great job, Sora!" he praised. "It seems that energy is going to good use."

"Of course!" the brunette chirped, and sat down on the bleachers in the shade. Once everyone was done, Riku stepped forward, ready for his turn. Zack blew his whistle again, and Riku was off. The silverette finished a little bit faster than Sora, and joined my brother in the shaded bleachers.

_Now it's my turn_, I thought to myself, smirking as I stepped forward. The whistle sounded, and I was off like a shot, racing through the tunnel, running along the balance beam, diving through the tire-tunnel, and then scaling the rock wall with ease. I swiftly climbed back down on the other side, and grinned brightly at Zack.

"Have you been practicing, Roxas?" he asked teasingly. He ruffled my hair as I passed, and I swatted his hands away.

"Zack, you know I'm a natural at this," I laughed. He laughed as well before I walked towards the bleachers. As I made my way over, I paused when I saw a shock of bright red hair in one of the groups. Looking around, confused, I noticed a pair of emerald green eyes watching me, and that the owner was the one with the red hair. My ears folded back when I saw the unfriendly gaze that he was aiming at me, so I quickly hurried to my twin and Riku.

"You okay, Roxas?" Sora asked as I sat down.

"Yeah, I'm fine, but there's a new guy in one of the groups that isn't a freshman," I answered. Looking at Riku, I asked, "Do you know him?"

"Yeah, his name is Axel," the silverette replied. At our curious looks, he added, "He moved here from Traverse Town, and was introduced by our teacher in first period." I nodded in understanding, feeling something unfamiliar flutter in my chest as I thought about the unfriendly gaze he had sent me. Something felt off about that look, besides the fact that he already seemed to dislike me. I couldn't quite tell what it was, though.

"Roxas?" I snapped out of my thoughts when Sora spoke my name.

"Huh?"

"The bell rang. We get to go to math now!" he said eagerly. Math was one of the few subjects at school everyone learned to love, and that was because it was taught by Leon, another good friend of my parents'. Like Tifa, Leon was the only one who taught his subject, and he taught each grade individually like Tifa. In this case, third period was juniors, while the seniors had him fifth. Sora and I split off from Riku and met up with Zexion, who had finished his tutoring hour.

"Heya Zex," I called, and we joined him as he was leaving the room. "How bad is the tutoring this year?"

"Not bad, I'll just need a bit of help with trying to explain some of the material for some of them," he shrugged. "Some need a bit more explanation than I'm used to giving, too, but it shouldn't be a huge problem."

"Yeah, I'm sure they'll understand eventually with you're help," I assured him, flicking him on the shoulder gently with my tail. He gave a small smile before we entered Leon's class.

"Hi Roxas and Sora," Leon greeted as we entered. "How're Cloud and Aerith?"

"They're doing great," Sora replied before I could. "Summer break was fun with them, which is good. It means more for us to write our essays with for Tifa."

"Always a good thing, huh?" the older brunette chuckled, and we sat in our seats. I sat near the front this time, third row back, with Zexion in front of me and Sora on my left. When I started to pull out my notebook, however, Leon cleared his throat, gaining the attention of everyone who was also starting to pull their stuff out.

"All right, everyone, I know Tifa already gave you guys homework, so I'm not gonna give you more," he began. Everyone sighed with relief at his words. "But that doesn't mean you'll get a complete freebie from class today. You'll take notes for today, and I'll let you guys go ten minutes early so you can go to your next class. I know you all have either psychology or study hall, so if you have study hall, please take the time to work on your essays. Now, take out your things, and we'll begin today's lesson…"

Eventually, after the lesson, Leon let us go early as he had promised. Sora, Zexion, and I left for psychology, hesitantly entering the classroom. You see, there was only one teacher who taught psychology to the juniors and seniors in the high school, and that was Ansem. He was really weird, and kinda obsessed with darkness in people. And he's really strict. We hastily seated ourselves in the middle, and pulled our things out right before Ansem walked in. As soon as the door shut, all chatter ceased, and we watched as he walked to stand before us. His golden eyes swept over us, pausing very slightly on me, and then he cleared his throat.

"Class, prepare for lecture, because in here, that's what you will get for information," he said in his deep voice. "If you miss one day of lecture, you must get your notes from a classmate, not me. It is up to you if you want to—" Suddenly the door opened, and that tall redhead from earlier, Axel, walked in.

"Sorry I'm late," he muttered, and took a seat in the back of the class.

"Axel Flynn," Ansem growled. "Move up closer and sit next to Roxas, where there's an empty seat. I'd rather have my class actually not distracted in the back." The redhead sighed heavily before getting up and sitting next to me. He didn't look at me once, just stared straight ahead at the white board while Ansem wrote down notes on it.

Not even halfway through the class, though, I began to feel uncomfortable, my ears flattening against my head and my tail twitching anxiously. It was because I knew Axel didn't like me for some reason, and I was dying to ask him why. When the bell rang, however, I didn't get my chance, as Axel stood quickly and used his longs legs to pretty much beat everyone to the door. Sora and Zexion came over to me as I stood up, confused.

"You okay, Rox?" Sora asked me, concerned.

"I don't know," I answered honestly. "That Axel guy doesn't seem to like me, and I don't know why."

"Don't fret too much over it, Roxas," Zexion said comfortingly.

"I just don't want another Seifer after me, that's all," I mumbled, my tail drooping. My twin hugged me before brightening.

"It's fine, Roxy," he promised. "Anyway, it's time for lunch, so let's eat!" I laughed at the sudden change in subject, but followed my eager brother with Zexion to the cafeteria. As soon as we entered the cafeteria, we caught sight of Demyx waving us over enthusiastically while sitting across from Riku. I gave Demyx a two-fingered salute in acknowledgment, so he sat back down in his seat. Once we had gotten our lunches, we joined our friends at our usual table.

"So, Sora, Roxas, how's your first day back treating you?" the sandy blonde asked kindly.

"Not bad," I replied after swallowing a bite of my sandwich. "Though that new guy, Axel, doesn't seem to like me at all…"

"Really? I thought he would, seeing as he's kinda out there," Demyx said, and I looked at him, confused.

"Wait, did you know him before he moved here?" Sora asked, just as confused.

"Yeah, I used to live in Traverse Town, remember?" he reminded us.

"But that was six years ago, Demyx," Zexion pointed out.

"I still knew him back then," he argued. "Anyhoo, he's always been into weird stuff, so I'm surprised he wouldn't like you, Roxas."

"I'm not that weird," I protested. "Even if I wasn't a neko, I'm not that weird."

"Everyone is weird in their own special way," Sora said wisely, and we laughed.

"Speaking of Axel, though, I invited him to sit with us," Demyx suddenly said, and my heart skipped a beat for some reason at his statement. "Oh, he just walked in!" I was sitting next to my twin, and Riku sat on his other side, while Demyx sat across from Sora and Zexion across from me, so the only spot open was next to Demyx. Axel walked over with his lunch and sat down next to the sandy blonde.

"Hi, Axel," Demyx greeted. "Now to introduce you to everyone." He began to gesture to everyone in turn as he introduced us. "This is Riku, Sora, who is Riku's boyfriend, Roxas, Sora's twin brother, and Zexion, my boyfriend!"

"Hey," Axel nodded, and began to eat, therefore shutting us out. My ears flattened against my head; I was put-out because I wanted to be friends with the attractive redhead…wait, did I just think of him as attractive?! I was able to suppress my blush, and thankfully no one noticed. Anyway, he didn't seem to want to be friends with me, which sucked, so that didn't help my case.

"So, Axel, what classes are you taking?" Zexion asked, trying to break the awkward silence. "Besides psychology, that is."

"Science, gym, language arts, psychology, math, art, and then a free period," the redhead answered after swallowing.

"Let me guess: you're leaving as soon as math is over, right?" Demyx grinned.

"I would if I had a ride," Axel grumbled, throwing the sandy blonde off.

"What? I thought you had a car?" he questioned.

"No, we sold it when we moved here," was the reply. "It was a piece of shit for a car anyway."

"That makes sense, then," Demyx shrugged. "I have science, music, language arts, study hall, math, a free period, and art."

"Well, you know what I have," Zexion said, and stuck his nose in one of his many books.

"Basically, I have almost the same schedule as Axel, but I have study hall instead of psychology," Riku added.

"And you guys know Roxas and my schedules," Sora chimed in. I nodded in agreement before we started making small talk until the warning bell rang. My twin and I stayed where we were, seeing as we had our free period now, and then we had art sixth period. The others left after Riku had kissed Sora lightly, and then I was alone with my brother.

"So, Roxas. What's with you today?" Sora questioned, looking at me in concern.

"Nothing, why?" I answered, honestly puzzled.

"Because you seem off about Axel, that's all," the brunette told me.

"It just bothers me that he already doesn't seem to like me, and he doesn't even know me!" I complained. "I don't want another Seifer to deal with, and he just gives me this feeling like he'll become another bully for me to deal with…"

"I highly doubt that, Rox," Sora assured me. "If that was the case, Demyx wouldn't have invited him to sit with us."

"You're right, but it still bugs me," I mumbled as my ears folded back, and my twin hugged me comfortingly.

"Try not to worry too much, Roxas," the brunette advised. "It's gonna make you sick."

"All right, I'll try," I smiled. "Maybe we should get started on our essays, that way we have more time to chill later."

"Good idea! To the library!" Sora crowed, and we went to the library, where we used our flash drives to save our essays as we wrote them. By the time the bell rang for the end of fifth period, I had finished one page of mine, while Sora had only written a half a page.

"Sora, come on, we have to get to art," I said, and grabbed my bag before leaving, tucking my flash drive into my pocket as I walked. Sora caught up to me, and we left for the art room. Demyx waved us over as we walked in, and then Yuffie, the art teacher, entered the classroom. My twin and I quickly sat at the same table as Demyx, and then Axel walked in and sat next to Demyx.

"Hi class!" Yuffie greeted, and we all replied with equal enthusiasm. "So for today, we're gonna draw something that inspires us. It doesn't have to be anything major, but it can be anything that gives you inspiration for writing, drawing, thinking, anything! Now, get to work!"

We pulled out our sketchbooks, and then I pulled out my pencil and some colored pencils before beginning to draw. Thinking about what I would draw, I decided to draw out a dragon. They fascinated me, and I didn't know why, but whenever I thought about them, I got inspired to do something creative.

So, I started to draw out a typical sketch of mine. It was a dragon that looked like a large lizard, except for some differences. He had three razor-sharp claws on each foot, a long, slender tail, bat-like wings that were also long and slender instead of large, and eyes that had no visible pupils. He was leaning his back against a tree and looking up at the moon, a slight smirk visible on his face. One leg was crossed over the other causally, and you could tell there was something special about him. Another major difference about him and most dragons is that he had plated armor covering his whole body instead of scales. By the time I had finished the shading, the bell rang, and I closed my sketchbook before putting it away in my bag.

"Nice job, Roxas," Sora praised as we started to get up. "I couldn't get my drawing of a pegasus quite right…"

"I'm sure you'll get it, Sor," I promised. "It takes a while to get the feathers right, but I know you'll get it sometime." Demyx caught up to us at that moment, Axel following quietly.

"So, what did you guys draw?" the sandy blonde asked interestedly. I caught a glimpse of Axel glancing at me, but then it was gone so fast I wasn't sure if I had imagined it.

"I started on a dragon, but I still need to color it in," I said.

"Ah, I know the one you're talking about," he nodded. "The one that resembles a lizard, right?"

"Yeah, that's right," I confirmed.

"And I started on a pegasus, but I can't quite seem to draw the feathers quite right," Sora chimed in.

"Do you want me to help you practice?" Demyx offered, and my twin nodded enthusiastically.

"Yeah, that'd be great! But…how would you have me practice?" he asked.

"Oh, I have a collection of feathers at home, and you can look at those for reference!" Demyx grinned.

"That sounds great!" Sora smiled brightly. "Can we come over after school today?"

"Sure, as long as you're okay to come over," Demyx shrugged. "I don't want to get you guys in trouble, after all."

"Good point," I agreed, and pulled out my cell phone. I pressed the speed dial for Mom, and she picked up on the second ring.

"Hello?"

"Hey Mom, it's Roxas. Can we go over to Demyx's house after school today? He wants to help Sora with a drawing for art, and I want to practice as well. Is that okay?"

"Only if you boys promise to be home by eight at the latest, and that you get dinner before coming home. I don't want you two getting home late and being hungry when you get home."

"Okay, cool. We'll eat before coming home," I promised. "Thanks Mom! I love you."

"Love you, too, honey. See ya!" Mom said, and I snapped my phone shut.

"We're clear to go over, we just have to be home by eight and need to eat before going home," I told them with a grin.

"Sweet!" Sora crowed. "And now, on to science!" We laughed at his antics, except for Axel, who rolled his eyes. Demyx split off to wait around outside, Axel with him, and we met up with Zexion in front of the classroom.

"All right, guys, be careful; even though it's the first day back, Vexen is kinda in a bad mood already," the slate haired teen cautioned.

"Gotcha," we said, and quickly entered the room and sat kinda close to the front. The icy blonde teacher was already sitting at his desk, waiting for the bell to ring. As soon as it did, everyone silenced themselves, and Vexen began the lesson without waiting. Everyone took notes as quickly as possible, trying to keep up, but it seemed only Zexion and I could keep track of where he was. Finally, the bell ending the day sounded, and every single person in the class sighed in relief as they stopped writing. Vexen fixed us all with an irritable look, and then waved his hand to dismiss us. We all fled the room, even Zexion, and found Riku waiting outside the class for us. We then left to find Demyx. He was waiting by his locker, stuffing the things he didn't need for tonight in there. I snuck up behind him and poked him in both sides with my fingers, making him jump and squeal.

"HOLY SHIT!" he shrieked, and we burst out laughing. Blushing, he looked at us, but laughed as well.

"That…was priceless!" I breathed through my laughter. Sora was in tears, leaning on Riku for support, and Zexion was laughing pretty hard, too. Eventually, we all sobered up, and started to get ready to go.

"You ready to go home, Sor?" Riku asked my twin.

"Actually, Roxas and I are going over to Demyx's place so I can practice drawing feathers," the brunette admitted. Riku nodded in understanding.

"No problem, I'll see you tomorrow, k?" the silverette said, and kissed Sora lightly before leaving.

"Shall we?" Demyx suggested, and we left to his SUV. Zexion was coming with us, too, which didn't bother me in the slightest. I liked his company, after all. Demyx drove a nice Honda Pilot, and I was kinda jealous. I wanted to learn to drive, but I didn't think I was quite ready yet.

"So, how was art?" Zexion asked as we drove to Demyx's house. I pulled out my sketchbook and showed him my drawing.

"That's what I drew, I just need to color it in," I explained.

"What color will you use to color him in?" the slate haired teen questioned.

"Silver, maybe a little bit of pale grey, but mostly silver," I answered. "That's how I always color him out."

"Niiiice, Roxas. It's gonna look amazing when you're finished!" Demyx told me, keeping his focus on the road. Once we got to his house, we went inside, where we practiced drawing feathers for an hour until about five, and then we played video games for a couple hours, ate dinner, and then Demyx took Sora and me home.

"See ya tomorrow, Demyx!" we called as he backed out of the driveway. He waved back before leaving. We went inside our house and called a greeting to our parents as we took our shoes off.

"How was it, boys?" Mom asked.

"We had fun! I think my feathers are turning out a lot better!" Sora answered excitedly.

"Same here," I agreed, and Mom nodded in satisfaction.

"Good to know. Now, your father is working late again, but he'll be here in the morning, okay?" she said.

"Sure thing, Mom," I nodded, and we went upstairs to get ready to chill for the night. Once it was nine at night, Sora and I went to sleep. As I fell asleep, I couldn't help but think to myself, _Why do I feel so strangely about Axel?_

A/N: And finally, I finished the first chapter! Over 5,000 words! Damn, I'm good! Anyhoo, R&R, peeps!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Okay, this chapter may not be as lengthy, just a warning! Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story.

Odd One Out

Chapter 2

X*X(Friday That Week)X*X

I woke up Friday morning feeling excited. It was finally almost the weekend, and once today was over, it would be the weekend! I scrambled out of bed eagerly, thinking that the faster I went through today, the sooner school would be over. I know, it's a dumb thought process, but it works for me.

"Good morning, Roxas!" Dad said as he knocked on my door. "Since it's Friday, we're doing cinnamon rolls for breakfast. Hurry on down!"

"I'll be down in five minutes!" I answered back. I dressed quickly, throwing on a pair of loose, black and light grey jeans, a black, zip-up tank top, a black and white checkered belt, and a pale cream, short-sleeved jacket with black checkered lines along the seams of the sleeves and the chest. I threw on my necklace that had an "X" for the pendant, my black and white checkered wristband, and my dark grey sneakers before running downstairs with my bag.

"Took ya long enough!" Sora teased as I sat down at the table, panting.

"How do you always beat me? I even got right out of bed when my alarm went off!" I cried, exasperated. Sora merely gave me a cheeky grin before replying.

"Because I get up early," he said smugly. My ears folded back as I growled, but rolled my eyes and did nothing else. Dad brought over the cinnamon rolls at that moment, and served me the first one, and then Sora. I immediately began to eat, loving the delicious, sweet, and savory taste in the cinnamon and sugar. It practically melted in my mouth. Sora ate his almost as quickly as I ate mine, and my tail waved happily as I finished.

When I finished, I leaned back in my chair, purring contentedly at the feeling of a full stomach. My ears twitched when I heard Riku's car pull into the driveway, and Sora jumped up eagerly.

"Riku's here!" he squealed, and bolted outside without his shoes. I sighed and shook my head before following him out, carrying his shoes.

"See ya Mom! See ya Dad!" I called as I walked out. I heard their replies as I left, and threw Sora's shoes to him as he came back over, blushing. "What's with you?"

"Riku told me to put my shoes on," he mumbled, embarrassed. I laughed lightly as he put them on, and then he dashed back over to his boyfriend.

"Ready now?" Riku asked him as he kissed Sora's forehead.

"Just about, I just need to grab my bag first," my twin told him, and I held up Sora's backpack to him.

"Looking for this?" I smirked, and Sora grabbed his backpack.

"Thanks Rox!" he chirped, and we got into Riku's car and left for school. We pulled in and parked next to Demyx's Pilot before getting out and joining our friends behind the building. For once, Axel wasn't there with Demyx and Zexion, which was a bit odd, but before I could ask, Riku did.

"Where's Axel this morning?"

"Oh, he's running late, I think," Demyx answered. "That's what he told me this morning when I text him about picking him up, anyway."

"Gotcha," Riku nodded. He then flopped down on the grass, sighing in relief. "Thank god it's Friday."

"Amen to that!" Sora agreed, lying down next to him. I smiled a bit as I sat down next to Zexion.

"Then let's hope school goes by quickly today," I said. Zexion looked up at me from his book just then, a warning look in his eye.

"Oh, Roxas, just a precaution, try to stick with one of us at all times, okay? Seifer is back," he cautioned. I nodded seriously and wrapped my tail around myself. Seifer is already back in school, huh? Definitely need to be careful, then.

Seifer is the school bully, and due to some trouble he had gotten into during the summer, he couldn't attend the first few days of school. It seems he's back today, though, which sucks. I hadn't even thought about Seifer until now anyway. And if Seifer's back, that also means Rai and Fuu will be by his side. Damn…

Suddenly, the warning bell rang, and we all jumped to our feet. We bid our farewells to Riku and Demyx before taking off to language arts. We all had our essays, and were ready to turn them in. I had five pages done for mine, which meant extra credit. As we sat down for class to start, Tifa walked in and collected everyone's essays.

"Nice job, guys," she praised as she counted up the essays. "Looks like everyone gets credit for this!" We all cheered in response to her words. "Okay, class, since it's Friday, that means we don't have to do anything today. You can go if you want, but don't make a ton of noise, seeing as I'd rather you all not get in trouble."

"Thank you, Tifa!" we all said as we started to get up to go. I followed Sora and Zexion out into the hall, and Zex split off to head to his tutoring classroom.

"I want to help out the others, that's all," he explained as he left.

"Okay, see ya in math!" I called, and Sora and I left to the gym.

As we walked, I was suddenly grabbed from behind, and a voice hissed in my ear, "Good, my punching bag is back."

"Seifer! Leave Roxas alone!" Sora yelled as he ran over, but Fuu snagged him and held him back.

"Day 1 back for you, and already you're looking for trouble?" I growled, flattening my ears and thrashing my tail. Seifer smirked evilly before socking me in the gut. "Dammit!"

"Why are you even here, freak? You should be in the zoo, not in a school," he taunted.

"Yeah, or in a circus, y'know!" Rai chimed in, and I glared up at him as he held me still so I couldn't fight back.

"Why do you guys pick on me?!" I snarled, thrashing to try and escape. "Don't you guys get in enough trouble as it is?!"

"Shut up!" Seifer snapped, and punched me in the mouth, making me yelp and spit blood out of my mouth. Rai dropped me so he wouldn't get hit by Seifer's blows.

"Roxas!" Sora cried helplessly. I closed my eyes as Seifer started to beat me up, whimpering at the agony that wracked my body. Suddenly, it stopped, and I peeked one eye open. I was stunned by what I saw. Axel was holding Seifer by the front of his shirt, glaring heavily at him.

"What the _**FUCK**_ do you think you're doing?!" the redhead snarled furiously at the bully.

"Trying to teach the freak a lesson, what does it look like?" Seifer growled back.

"Leave them alone, or you'll answer to me," Axel threatened before punching Seifer in the gut. "Take _that_ as a warning." The beanie-wearing teen carefully picked himself up off the floor before fleeing, Rai right behind him and Fuu trailing after them. Sora ran over to me, panicked.

"I'll be okay, Sora, I just can't do anything in gym today, that's all," I assured him with a small smile. I looked over to where Axel had been, about to thank him, but he was already gone. "Sora, Axel saved me, right?"

"Yeah, he did."

"Then where'd he go?"

"I have no idea, but we'll have to thank him when we get a chance to."

"Definitely."

"Look, can we get you to go to the nurse first, Roxas?" Sora pleaded. "I don't want you to be in pain."

"Sure. Let's get over there now," I nodded, and Sora helped me to the office, where I was taken care of by the nurse.

"Roxas, who did this to you? Was it Seifer again?" Yuna, the school nurse, asked me.

"Yeah, it was Seifer again…" I mumbled. She shook her head in disbelief.

"That boy, I swear…he has no self-control anymore," she muttered.

"When did he ever?" Sora said, and Yuna giggled.

"Good point," she nodded, and began to take care of me. I winced occasionally as she treated my cuts and bruises, but eventually, she finished and straightened up. "Now, I'm going to write you a note to excuse you from gym today, and give you some pain meds, okay? I'll also talk to principal Xemnas about Seifer. He won't get away with this."

"Thanks, Yuna," I told her gratefully. "Zack probably won't be too happy about me missing gym today, but I know he'll understand."

"He better, or I'll rip him a new one," the brunette woman muttered darkly. Sora and I laughed lightly as she wrote my note out and handed me some pain medicine, and we left to gym, Sora carefully helping me through the halls. When we got there, Riku ran over, looking worried when he saw what state I was in.

"Whoa, Roxas, are you okay? What happened?" he asked, looking to Sora for an explanation.

"Seifer beat him up again," my twin told him.

"Then why isn't he in a hospital? I thought Seifer would've skinned him!" Riku wondered.

"Axel stopped Seifer before he could go too far," I said. "But he took off before I could thank him."

"Well, as long as you're okay," Riku nodded. "Oh, and Zack's looking for you guys. He's getting worried."

"Gotcha. I won't be participating today, obviously, but Zack will understand," I replied. Riku nodded and ran off to find Zack. Suddenly there was shouting, and then Zack came running over to Sora and me.

"Shit! Roxas, are you okay?" he demanded of me in a panic.

"I'm fine, just sore," I shrugged, wincing slightly at the movement. "Yuna gave me a note and some pain medicine, so I'll be okay."

"Let me guess: Seifer?" he assumed.

"Yeah, but Axel stopped him in time," Sora finally chimed in.

"Huh. So _that's_ why he was late," Zack muttered to himself. "Looks like I owe Axel an apology, then. All right, boys, come on. Sora, you can be excused from today's stuff, too."

"Thanks, Zack!" my brother chirped as we followed him to the gym, where everyone was lined up. Axel was scowling while leaning against the wall in the far corner, and his glare intensified when he spotted Zack, Sora, and me walking in. Well, it was more like limping with me, but whatever. We followed the raven-haired man over to Axel, where the redhead was obviously being punished.

"Axel, I'm sorry for chewing you out earlier, I didn't know you were stopping Seifer from bullying Roxas," Zack apologized. "You can either participate in today's activities, or you can sit out if you want. I'm really sorry."

"I'll participate," the redhead muttered, and went to stand with Riku's group. Sora and I went to sit in the bleachers, where we chatted idly about random things until everyone started to head back into the locker rooms to change. While they got changed, Sora and I went to wait by the boy's locker room to wait for Riku and Axel. The redhead was out first, and he stood by the gym doors to wait for us. Finally, the silverette came out, hugging Sora lightly and kissing his temple before we started to head to our next classes. When Riku split off for language arts with Axel, Sora and I met up with Zexion for math. The slate-haired teen's visible eye widened in shock when he saw me.

"Roxas! What happened?" he demanded worriedly.

"Seifer," I said simply, and he nodded.

"I'm sorry that that happened, even after my warning," he murmured, and I shrugged.

"Axel stopped him, so it's okay," I told him.

"Really? Thank goodness for that," he sighed in relief. "Have you thanked him yet?"

"Haven't had a chance to," I replied. "But I will when I get a chance."

"Good to know," Zexion nodded. "Anyway, let's go to class, shall we?" Sora and I nodded in agreement and followed him to class, where Leon was waiting patiently.

"Hi boys," he greeted, and allowed us to sit before starting the lesson. When class was over, Leon spoke to me. "Heya Roxas. Zack told me what happened…"

"It's fine, Leon, I promise," I assured him with a grin. "I'll be okay."

"That's a relief, but then again, you're a tough kid," he chuckled, and tousled my hair and ears. I swatted his hand away, laughing.

"Leon! Don't do that!" I laughed. He grinned before sending me off with Sora and Zexion. As we left, I spotted Axel heading into our psychology classroom, on time for once. We caught up and sat near him, and I was about to thank him, but then the bell rang, and Ansem walked in. His cold golden gaze swept over the class, and I quickly leaned away slightly from Axel so I wouldn't get in trouble.

The silver haired man lectured for the whole of the class period, and as usual, hardly anyone could keep up except for Zexion and me. As soon as the bell rang, the class as a whole sighed in relief. Everyone packed up their things, and I ran after Axel, wincing as I tried desperately to catch up.

"Axel!" I shouted after him. He paused before moving off to the side.

"What do you want?" he asked coldly.

"I just wanted to say thank you for saving me from Seifer earlier," I said timidly, and he shrugged.

"It's nothing," he muttered, and resumed walking. I took off after him, following him to the cafeteria.

"It's not nothing," I insisted as I struggled to keep up with him. I was faintly aware of Sora and Zexion trailing after us, but they kept their distance to give us a little bit of privacy. "He would have put me in the hospital if you hadn't stopped him!"

"I don't like people who bully others for no reason," he shrugged, and I glared at him, getting frustrated.

"Look, I'm just trying to be nice," I growled, and stormed off ahead of him, grumbling under my breath about stupid redheads. Sora ran up to me while Zexion hung back.

"What happened?" my twin asked me, concerned.

"He didn't seem to care that it was big that he stopped Seifer," I told him, irritated with Axel. "He basically wouldn't accept my thanks."

"Man, I'm sorry, Roxas," the brunette apologized. "I don't know why he wouldn't."

"Maybe there's something bothering him?" Zexion guessed. "Or he's hiding something."

"You might be on to something there, Zex," I said, my tail waving eagerly. But then my ears folded back when I realized something. "Wait, how would we find out what's wrong?"

"Now that I'm uncertain of," the slate haired teen murmured. "We should talk more about this over the weekend. Will you guys be online on Facebook?"

"Of course, I'm always online," Sora and I said at the same time. We laughed as we looked at each other, and then we asked, "What time do you want us online?"

"Tonight at 8," Zexion answered. "We'll talk about it in a private chat then."

"Perfect, we'll all discuss what we'll do to figure it out," Sora nodded. We walked into the cafeteria then, and joined Riku and Demyx, who were waiting for us. Riku had already told Demyx about Seifer, it seemed, due to Demyx's mild reaction when he saw me.

"Hi Zexy!" Demyx chirped as we sat down with our lunches. The sandy blonde then looked about, his expression confused. "Where's Axel? I thought he had psychology with you guys."

"He does, but he pissed me off," I explained.

"What did he do?" Riku asked.

"I tried to thank him for stopping Seifer, but he didn't seem to want my thanks," I growled. Demyx shook his head in disbelief.

"That's not like him," he said, appearing concerned. "Look, I'll talk to him today, and if not today, it'll be over the weekend, okay?" I nodded, and he sighed in relief. "Good, thanks Rox."

"No problem, I just got annoyed," I shrugged. "You know how things can get with me."

"That's true," Sora laughed lightly. I glared at him until he stopped. He shrugged in response to my irritated look. Rolling my eyes, I began to eat my lunch, and merely listened to the others chat while they ate. Eventually, though, I zoned out, becoming absorbed in my thoughts.

I couldn't help but think about Axel and his negative attitude towards me. Why didn't he like me? And why would he stop Seifer if he didn't like me? Gah, too many questions, not enough answers. Damn, I guess I'll find out eventually.

Suddenly, the bell rang, and everyone scrambled to get to class, except for Sora and me. We sat in silence for about five minutes after the cafeteria had emptied, and then Sora spoke up.

"What's on your mind, Roxas?" he asked. My ears twitched, and I looked at him.

"What do you mean?" I said, playing dumb.

"Rox, you can't fool me. We're twins after all," he pointed out, and I sighed.

"Right…" I mumbled. "Well, it's just really getting to me how Axel doesn't like me, but I don't know why it bothers me so much."

"Hmm…"

"Do you know why I'm so bothered by it, Sora?"

"No, I don't…I really don't," the brunette shrugged. "Maybe it'll come to you in time."

"Yeah, you got a point there," I nodded. "I just hope that time comes soon."

"For your sake, I hope so, too," he replied. We ended up chatting about different things until it was almost time to leave, and then we left for art. I sat down away from Axel, glaring slightly at him in warning so he would leave me be. He didn't even acknowledge me, which was fine. When I thought that, though, something in my heart reacted to it and it felt like I was lying to myself. Tifa walked in then.

"Okay class, time to turn in your drawings from Tuesday!" she called, and we began to hand in our pieces of art. Tifa smiled softly at my picture of my silver dragon. "Good job, Roxas. Your drawing skills are getting better."

"Thanks Tifa, I did my best," I said softly, blushing lightly. Someone shoved me slightly, and I glared behind me at Axel, who had done it. Tifa placed one hand on her hip, irritated.

"There was no need to shove him, Axel," she snapped. "Watch yourself, because I don't stand for any form of violence between students. If it's from me, however…" She gave a small, wicked grin, but Axel merely rolled his eyes and went back to his seat. "Sorry about that, Roxas. I don't know what his deal is."

"Neither do I," I muttered, shaking my head in confusion. She patted me lightly on the back before sending me back to my seat. As I walked back to my table, I noticed Demyx was talking quietly to Axel, his expression frustrated. Curious, I decided to listen in with my cat hearing, and I could tell they had no idea I was listening in.

"Why are you so mean to him?" Demyx asked.

"That's none of your business, Demyx," Axel snapped back at him.

"But why are you so cold in general? You used to be so friendly," the sandy blonde pressed.

"I've changed, Dem. You'll still always be my best friend, but things have changed. I'm not the same guy you knew when you moved away," the redhead replied coolly, and I noticed his emerald eyes flick towards me, so he leaned away from Demyx and became quiet.

"Hey Demyx," I greeted quietly, and sat down, my ears folded back. My tail was still, and I was feeling upset. Obviously Axel had been nice before, but something had happened to him while Demyx was here and away from Axel. I had no idea what, but hopefully, the redhead would eventually come to trust me enough to share with me what had happened to him.

"Hi Rox," he waved, and I lowered my head slightly. The sandy blonde tilted his head to the side slightly, puzzled by my behavior. "What's wrong?" I merely shook my head, and he nodded, understanding that I didn't want to talk. "All right. I'll leave you be for now."

"Thanks, Dem," I mumbled, and waited until Yuffie had gotten all of our drawings before she addressed us.

"Okay class, today, you're going to start a sketch again, but this time, you're going to paint it when you finish the drawing itself," she said. "And the key thing is that it can't be the exact same picture as last time. You can draw the same thing, but in a different pose or something, alright?" We all nodded. "Well then, get to it!"

We pulled out our sketchbooks and I began to draw the silver dragon again, but this time he was in a crouched position facing me. I drew flames dripping from his jaws, and his tail was stuck in a mid-whip-like pose. His wings flared wide, and you could see the anger and fury in his eyes alone. Columns of darkness and light were surrounding him, and his claws were braced against the ground as if he were getting ready to unleash a powerful attack.

Suddenly, the bell rang, and I closed my sketchbook before tucking it into my bag. Sora caught a glimpse of my picture before I put it away, however, and he placed his hand on my shoulder in concern.

"Are you gonna be okay, Roxas?" he asked quietly, making sure neither Demyx nor Axel could hear us.

"Yeah, I'll be fine, I just need to stay away from Axel," I muttered. He nodded in understanding, and we left for science after bidding Demyx farewell and wishing him a good weekend. As we joined Zexion, the slate-haired teen looked up at us from his book.

"Whatcha readin', Zex?" I asked.

"A psychology study on people and stereotypes," he replied, and marked his spot before closing it and standing.

"Why are you reading that?" Sora questioned.

"Because there may be a connection between Axel and stereotyping," Zexion answered.

"Wait, you think Axel is stereotyping me? How could he do that when I'm the only neko on record right now? The last one was years ago!" I exclaimed.

"Maybe you're not the first, though," Zex said validly. "There may be others who aren't recorded as being nekos."

"I never thought of that before," I murmured, furrowing my brows and folding my ears back. Suddenly, the warning bell rang, and we darted into the classroom and took our seats before the late bell rang. Vexen walked in and had us take notes like he had been, but only for a half an hour. Once 2:30 hit, the icy blonde let us go early.

"Don't get me wrong, I want you all to suffer in this class, but I want out of here as much as you do," Vexen said matter-of-factly. We stared at him for a moment until he shrieked, "GET OUT!" And then everyone scrambled out of there, shouting and pushing past each other so they could get out. Sora, Zexion, and I waited until the chaos had died down before we left with our things.

"Thank the lord it's the weekend, FINALLY!" Sora cried out as we got outside. Zexion smirked slightly, and I chuckled.

"You make it sound like it's been years since the weekend, Sora," I grinned at my twin.

"It certainly feels like it," he muttered, but then smiled brightly. "Hey Zexion, want to come over to our place?"

"Sure, why not? We can talk about Axel then," he shrugged. We then left for home, chatting about the homework Leon had given us for math. I hope we can figure out what Axel's deal is…

A/N: And I finally finished the second chapter! 8 damn pages, but it's worth it! Sorry I took so long, but I've been really busy with work, school, and studying for tests. Anyway, R&R, peeps!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Okay, I hope I can get this posted sooner than the last chapter! Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story.

Odd One Out

Chapter 3

"Mom, Dad! We're home!" Sora and I called as we walked in through the door.

"And we brought Zexion!" I added, and we took off our shoes before walking into the living room to greet our mom.

"Hello, Zexion!" Mom said happily. "It's good to see you again!"

"Hello, Mrs. Strife," the slate haired teen greeted softy.

"Oh, please, call me Aerith, silly!" she giggled. "I take no offense, but when you call me Mrs. Strife, I feel old."

"Mom, you're not old!" I laughed.

"Yes, but as my son, you're supposed to tell me nice things," Mom pointed out with a small laugh. "What happened to you today, Roxas?" she asked worriedly when she noticed my injuries from earlier.

"Seifer beat me up again, but I'll explain more tomorrow," I replied, and started to head upstairs. "We'll be in my room, Mom!" I called over my shoulder as I trudged up to my room.

"Okay, just be down at eight for dinner!" she shouted back. When we got to my room, we dropped our bags off by the door and immediately sat down on my bed to discuss what we thought might be wrong with Axel.

"So, what's your theory, Zex?" I asked him.

"I have a feeling that you being a neko and Axel's negative feelings towards you are connected," he told me.

"How so?" Sora questioned.

"Something may have happened to Axel involving nekos after Demyx had moved here from Traverse Town, and now he treats Roxas how he may have treated them," Zexion answered. "Mind you, this is all theoretical."

"So, if that's the case, what can I do?" I wondered aloud.

"I'll try and talk to Demyx and see what he can squeeze out from Axel over the weekend," the slate haired teen replied. "And whatever he gets from Axel, I'll relay to you guys when I can."

"Sure thing, Zex," I nodded. "Want to play Super Smash Bros Brawl?" I suggested.

"Of course! I'll beat you both this time!" Sora crowed, and Zexion and I smirked at each other. I could tell he wanted to tag-team against Sora, and I wanted to as well. We pulled out my Wii and set it up, and I fished out my Game-Cube controller before looking back at the other two.

"Controller or remote?" I asked, holding mine up and a Wii remote.

"Controller," they answered in unison. I nodded and tossed them each a Game-Cube controller for them to plug into the Wii. It's a lot easier to fight in the game with a Game-Cube controller, anyway.

As I started the game up as Player 1, I clicked to go to the character selection for our match. First, though, I set the items to Pokéballs, food, and smash balls, and the time limit to 63 minutes. Once that was set up, I chose Pikachu as my character, Sora chose Kirby, and Zexion chose Lucario. I even set up my Pikachu with a pair of blue goggles. Sora decided to change Kirby's color to white, and Zexion kept Lucario the same.

When the stage choices popped up, I chose to play on Pokémon Stadium 2. Once the match started, I had Pikachu run over to Kirby and use Thunder. Kirby immediately took the hit and flew back, and then ran at Pikachu while he was charging up Skull Bash. I released the button to let the attack go, and Kirby was sent flying off to the side. As he tried to come back onto the stage, Zexion had Lucario release the Aura Sphere attack he'd been charging up. Sora shrieked as his Kirby smashed into the screen when he was sent flying.

"Not fair! You guys are tag-teaming me again!" he shouted at us, and I laughed.

"You just now figured that out?" I chuckled, purring. "All right, every man for himself!"

Zexion's Lucario was the first to snag a Pokéball, and he quickly used it, summoning a Staryu. It chose to target me, and I knew how to avoid it. I made it chase me until it was high enough to not hit me, and then resumed attacking while it was busy firing off its Swift attack.

Sora's Kirby snatched up a Pokéball next, and he ended up just summoning a stupid Goldeen. We laughed while my twin blushed angrily, and I had Pikachu grab the next one. Tossing it, I had Pikachu stand back while Latias appeared, zipping back and forth across the stage and striking Kirby and Lucario. As soon as she vanished, a smash ball appeared.

"MINE!" Sora screamed, making Zexion and me wince.

"Not a chance," I grinned, and targeted it with a well-aimed Skull Bash. When my Pikachu was glowing, I pressed the B button, and cried out, "Volt-Tackle!"

Pikachu turned into a giant orb of floating electricity, and I quickly moved him about while pressing the A button, which released bursts of electricity from the orb while he moved. I struck both Kirby and Lucario several times, and finally, I released one last burst of lightning before Pikachu reverted back to himself, and both of them were sent flying off the stage and falling.

"NO FAIR!" Sora squealed, and I cackled.

"Sure, and the Easter Bunny still exists," I retorted sarcastically.

"I'm gonna beat you up!" he threatened.

"And I'll beat you down!" I replied with a cheeky grin. My brother merely huffed angrily before un-pausing the game.

Once Lucario and Kirby had returned to the stage, I snagged a Pokéball and threw it, summoning Lugia.

"YUSH!" I cheered, and Zexion groaned at the same time as Sora did. They hate Lugia, and I love him. That is, unless someone else summons him. Then he's a traitor.

Lugia released his Aeroblast attack, and I cackled as Kirby ran all over around the stage, trying to dodge the attack, and Zexion wisely had Lucario use his shield to protect himself. As soon as Lugia finished, Lucario let go of the shield before he could stun himself on accident.

We continued on like this, and Zexion even summoned Groudon, sending Pikachu flying as well as Kirby. Suddenly, the five-second countdown sounded, and we all paused to make our characters pose as the timer finished. We waited eagerly to see who won, and I wasn't sure, to be honest. Zexion had gotten a few smash balls, as had Sora, but we'll see in a second.

"Winner: Pikachu!" the game announced, and I jumped up, cheering and doing my victory dance.

"Yes!" I cried out, and Sora tackled me, laughing.

"If Brawl was real, you'd be doomed!" he told me, and I flattened my ears back as I leered at my twin.

"Yeah, but not as screwed as you!" I smiled, poking him in the side and making him yelp and recoil. Zexion smiled slightly at the sight of us, but then I heard his watch beep, and I glanced at it, noticing that it was already 8 o'clock.

"Time for dinner, boys!" Mom called up to us from downstairs.

"Coming!" I yelled back, and we went downstairs after turning off the game.

"Let me guess, you three were playing Brawl again?" Mom assumed as we came down to the kitchen.

"Yeah, how'd you know?" Sora asked curiously.

"I could hear you guys shouting from down here," she giggled.

"Sorry, Mom," I apologized, lowering my ears slightly.

"Don't worry about it, your father and I were laughing about it," she told us.

"Oh yeah, what's for dinner tonight?" I asked eagerly, my tail waving excitedly.

"We're having parmesan chicken with angel hair pasta and garlic bread tonight," she answered.

"Holy crap, that's my favorite!" I cried, and added, "Do you want some help setting the table?"

"Don't worry about it, I already set it," Mom said dismissively. "Go ahead and sit down, I'll be over soon with the food."

"Okay, thanks Mom!" Sora replied, and we sat down at the table waiting in anticipation for Mom's delicious home cooking. When she came back into the dining room, she set the pan with the chicken in it on a couple of hot pads and then went back to retrieve the pasta. She placed the pasta on another hot pad before calling into the living room for Dad.

"Cloud, dinner's ready!" she told him, and he turned off the TV and joined us at the table.

"Looks good, Aerith," he praised her with a kiss on the cheek.

"Good to know," she smiled, and began to dish out a piece of chicken on each plate. We each snagged a piece of garlic bread, and then each scooped some pasta onto our plates. As we ate, we talked about our weeks, and how school or work was going for us. The good part was that Dad had gotten a raise recently, and so we would be able to go to Destiny Islands this spring break for our annual spring break vacation. The happy atmosphere was broken when Dad suddenly asked about my injuries.

"Seifer beat me up again," I mumbled, flattening my ears against my head.

"Then why didn't you come home or something?" he demanded.

"Because it wasn't as bad this time," I answered. "Axel, this new guy in our group, stopped Seifer before it could go too far."

"You still should have come home, Roxas," he insisted worriedly.

"I'm dedicated to my schooling, and didn't want to miss out on the notes in psychology or science!" I argued. "Ansem and Vexen don't go easy on anyone!"

"…All right, just promise me you'll call and let us know if there's a next time," he said.

"I promise, Dad," I told him with a grin. "Thanks, and I'll try to fight back if there's a next time, too."

"That's my boy!" Dad grinned, and we resumed eating. When we finished, Mom brought out her famous sea-salt ice cream cake, and we all cheered, even Zexion.

"All right! I love this stuff!" I cried out as we each began to get a piece.

"I'm happy you boys like this," Mom giggled as we dug in. "After all, I always win the bake-off with it."

"As you should, dear," Cloud chuckled. We finally sat back when we were done, and I placed my hand on my full stomach, purring.

"Full, everyone?" Mom smiled, and we nodded and murmured agreement. "Happy to hear it~"

"Need help cleaning up, Mom?" I asked softly.

"Sure, if you're willing to help," she nodded, and I got up and began to help Mom cleanup from dinner. As I washed the dishes in the sink, I thought about Axel for some odd reason. I thought about how much he seemed to dislike me, and how he didn't want to accept my thanks earlier.

"Roxas?" Mom's voice snapped me out of my thoughts, and I looked up at her.

"What's up, Mom?" I asked.

"You look distracted. Is something wrong?" she questioned, and I lowered my ears slightly. "You know you can tell me, Roxas."

"I know, I just don't quite know what's wrong myself," I replied.

"What's going on?" she pressed gently.

"…Mom, you know how I mentioned that Axel guy earlier?" I reminded her.

"Yes, what about him?"

"Well, he's not exactly the nicest guy to me," I mumbled.

"What exactly do you mean?"

"The first day I saw him, he gave me a dirty look, and since then, he's barely acknowledged me," I explained. "And when I tried to thank him for helping me earlier, he wouldn't accept my thanks, and he hardly talks to me. And it bothers me more than it should, but I don't know why."

"…"

"What're you thinking, Mom?"

"How do you feel about him, honey?" she asked me out of the blue.

"Um, different. I don't know what exactly, but my heart flutters sometimes when I see him," I answered.

"…It sounds like you're in love with him, sweetie," she told me, and my eyes widened.

"Wait, what…?" I whispered, setting down the dish I was holding so I wouldn't drop it.

"The way you make it sound, Roxas, is that you love him," Mom murmured gently. "And it's not a bad thing, I promise."

"I know, I know, but…how come I didn't know myself?" I wondered aloud.

"It's hard to know unless someone points it out to you sometimes," she explained. "It was the same when I first fell in love with your father."

"Really?" I said, looking up at her. "Who told you?"

"My mother told me," she smiled softly. I nodded in understanding, but then my ears flattened against my head.

"But how do I tell him?" I questioned.

"I'm certain that will come to you in time," she answered. "Everyone is different, Roxas, and how you tell him you like him is something you need to figure out yourself. I'd help you, but I don't even know him."

"Gotcha. Thanks, Mom," I told her gratefully, and hugged her. "Mind if I take a shower?"

"Sure, honey. Go on ahead," she giggled, and I nodded with a smile before going upstairs. I paused before getting to the top and went back down to ask Mom something.

"Hey, can Zexion spend the night if he's allowed to?" I asked.

"Of course~" she smiled, and I ran back upstairs.

"Hey, Zex, can you spend the night?" I asked when I got into my room.

"Yeah, I'll be able to. I just have to call my mom first and let her know," he said, and pulled out his phone. When he finished his call, he nodded to me to assure me he was in the clear to spend the night.

"Awesome! I just need to shower, and then I'll be ready to play some more games," I told Sora and Zexion.

"Okay, we'll be playing Brawl on our own until you get back, then," Sora replied, and I grabbed some clean pajamas and boxers before going to the bathroom and starting up my shower.

As I washed my hair, my thoughts, once again, turned to Axel. I dunked my head under the spray and rinsed out the shampoo, and then I felt a pang in my heart when I realized I wouldn't have a chance to ever be able to tell Axel that I love him. My ears flattened even more than they already had as I leaned back against the wall of the shower, ignoring the goose bumps I felt crawling up my arms from the cold tiles.

I slid down to sit on the floor of the shower, drawing my knees up to my chest and curling my tail around myself. I rested my forehead against my knees as I thought about how cold Axel had been to me, and how much he seemed to hate me. I don't understand it, but I want to know why he does when he barely knows me. My heart fluttered in response to my thoughts, and I knew I would have to tell him eventually.

Sighing, I stood up and finished washing myself before turning off the water and stepping out with my towel wrapped around my waist. I rubbed my hair and ears dry and then brushed my hair, followed by combing the fur on my ears. I even combed the fur on my tail for good measure.

"Roxas, you okay in there?" Mom's voice asked through the door.

"Yeah, I'm fine!" I called back.

"Can I come in?" she asked after a moment.

"Let me get dressed first," I answered, and quickly pulled on my boxers and pajamas. "Okay, come in." Mom opened the door carefully so as not to smack me with the door on accident.

"Heya honey, you okay? You were in here longer than normal," she told me.

"Just bothered about how I'm gonna tell Axel I'm in love with him," I mumbled, and she hugged me gently.

"You'll figure it out soon, Roxas, I promise," she reassured me.

"All right…Thanks, Mom," I murmured, and she let me go.

"Just don't become depressed over it, okay?" she told me, and I nodded.

"Okay, I won't," I replied, and she nodded and left the bathroom. I followed her out and went to my room after telling Mom goodnight, and then I rejoined Sora and Zexion. We played Brawl for another good two hours before calling it a night and going to sleep. As Zexion got comfortable in the sleeping bag on the floor Dad had brought up, he murmured a soft goodnight before his breathing evened out and he was asleep.

I closed my eyes as well, and fell asleep, thinking of Axel and hopefully happy times in the future. That is, if I can bring myself to tell him…


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Okay, I need to update Darkness Finds Light soon, and I will after this chapter, I promise! Also, some intense chiz going down here. *poker face* Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story.

Odd One Out

Chapter 4

By Sunday, I was feeling more and more upset about Axel. I couldn't stop thinking about him, and the more I thought, the more depressed I became. Sora could tell, as could my parents, but they didn't question it, for which I was grateful. By that evening, though, my twin had had enough, and he dragged me to his room to talk to me.

"Roxas, what's going on with you?" he demanded, tapping his foot impatiently on the floor. "Ever since Friday night, you've been off, and becoming more and more depressed. I'm worried about you, so please tell me what's going on with you."

"…I'm in love with Axel," I mumbled softly. Sora stared blankly at me for a moment.

"Wait, that's what this is all about?" he questioned. "That's why you're depressed?"

"No! I'm depressed because I don't know how to tell him!" I growled. "He obviously hates me for some weird reason, and I'm scared, terrified even, that if I tell him, he'll hate me even more, or might just beat me up!"

"I don't think he would do that, Roxas," Sora murmured, hugging me. Tears flowed down my cheeks as I cried into my brother's shoulder.

"I can't help but think like that, though, Sora!" I sobbed. He rubbed my back soothingly until I was calm, and then helped me to bed.

"Try not to stress so much, Rox," he advised gently as he covered me with my blanket. "It'll all come together in time, I promise. You just need to be patient, that's all it is."

"Okay…" I sighed, and he hugged me one last time before turning off my light and leaving. That night, I fell asleep feeling worried and scared, but the emotions went away as I slept, thankfully.

X*X*X*X*X*X*X

When I woke up the next morning, I felt like a zombie. I sat up slowly when my alarm went off, groaning tiredly and stretching. As I yawned, I realized the inside of my mouth felt sticky and I had a bad taste in my mouth. Damn, I didn't drink any water during the night, which means I need to now.

I leaned over and grabbed my glass of water and practically chugged it down, I was so thirsty. When I finished it off, I felt a bit better, but not completely. I climbed out of bed, moving like a snail. As I got dressed, I tried not to think about Axel, but my thoughts wouldn't stop wandering there. I sighed heavily as I pulled on my white shirt with a silver dragon on it and black jeans.

"Roxas? Are you up?" Mom's voice asked through my bedroom door.

"Yeah, I'm up," I replied, and then grabbed my stuff and opened the door. "Morning, Mom."

"Good morning, honey," she smiled at me, and hugged me gently before heading downstairs. "By the way, I made omelets for you boys for breakfast. Come on down and eat up, okay?"

"All right, thanks Mom," I told her, and followed her downstairs to eat. I checked my cell phone as I sat down, and discovered I had gotten a text from Zexion during the night while I was sleeping.

'Meet me in English class as soon as you get to school. I'll be waiting. I have some news for you about Axel,' it read. I quickly typed in a reply.

'Okay, I'll leave as soon as I finish eating. I should be there in 15 minutes,' I typed, and sent it. Mom put my plate in front of me as I put my phone in back my pocket, and I quickly ate my breakfast.

"It looks like someone's hungry this morning," Mom remarked with a giggle as I wolfed down my omelet.

"Yeah, and I'm gonna meet Zexion before school starts, so I'll head out when I get done," I told her, and she nodded in understanding.

"All right, just be careful today," she advised, and I made of sound of acknowledgement as I finished my breakfast.

"Thanks for breakfast, Mom, and I love you," I said, and gave her a quick hug before snatching up my bag and leaving.

"Love you, too, Roxas! See you later!" she called after me, and I took off running down the street to school. When I got there, there was hardly anyone around, so I ran off to find Zexion. I walked quickly down the hallway, and then found him waiting for me inside our English classroom.

"Hey Zex," I panted as I walked in.

"Hi Roxas," he greeted, and I sat down next to his desk.

"So, what did you find out about Axel?" I asked.

"Demyx was able to coax Axel into telling him why he dislikes you so much," the slate haired teen told me. My ears perked up at that, and I looked at him sharply.

"What did he say?"

"…Apparently, Axel was beaten up in Traverse Town by a gang of nekos shortly after Demyx moved here," he told me after a brief moment of hesitation. "He was beaten so badly that he was put in the hospital, and the nekos were eventually found and sentenced in jail for a couple of years. They had no other reason for their actions than 'he was a freak.' Their words, not mine."

"Oh my god…" I breathed, my eyes widened in shock. I would never have suspected that would be the reason. "So that's why he hates me? Because he was beaten up by nekos?"

"Yes, and that was also the reason he stopped Seifer," Zexion explained. "He didn't want to see another flashback of his past, is what he told Demyx."

"Should I address it with him?" I wondered aloud.

"No, don't tell him until later on. He doesn't know that Demyx told me, let alone that I told you. Axel shouldn't have to worry about anyone knowing besides Demyx until we get to know him better," he said firmly. I nodded in understanding, and then we heard the sounds of people starting to make their way to their classes.

"Time for class…" I grumbled, and Zexion smirked at my pout. "Say anything and I'll kick your ass." He rolled his eye at me, and we took our usual spots in the room as Sora walked in.

"Morning Zexion!" he chirped. "Hiya Roxas!"

"Hi Sora," we greeted, and chatted idly about random stuff until class started. When class ended, Sora and I split from Zexion as usual to go to gym, and we went through our day until lunch. I had basically been ignoring Axel up to this point, and now I would have to be near him for about 45 minutes. I decided I would talk to him in private later, but for now, I'll have to wait.

Unfortunately, luck was not on my side in this matter, for when he spotted me, he got up from his seat and walked straight over to me. My ears flattened at his angered look, and I barely reacted when he reached Sora and me.

"We need to talk," he growled, and before Sora could say anything, he dragged me off down the hall. When we came to a stop in a quiet hallway, he slammed me against the lockers, making me gasp in shock. "You know about what happened to me in Traverse Town, don't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," I scoffed, playing dumb. He pressed me harder against the metal, making me wheeze.

"Don't play stupid with me, Roxas," he snapped. "I know that you know, you freak." Something inside my head snapped when he said that, and I shoved him away from me, hard.

"Don't you _ever_, _**ever**_ call me a freak," I spat lowly at him, flattening my ears against my head and whipping my tail back and forth furiously. "I've been accepted because everyone here doesn't judge anyone else, and I'm not about to let that change because of one person!"

He raised his fist as if to strike me, his green eyes narrowed to slits, and when he swung, I caught his fist easily. Glaring at him, I increased the pressure on his fist in my hand until he yelped and tried to yank his hand away. That's when I snarled and punched him harshly in the gut.

"I've done nothing cruel to you up to this point, so why you've decided to be so rude to me is something I can't really understand," I hissed at him. "You don't know me, so don't be so quick to judge!"

Before he could respond, I dug my claws into his arm and kicked him in the ass, literally. Finally, I released my grip on him, straightening up.

"Take that as your lesson, and learn from it. I don't like to fight, but I will if I must," I told him coldly as I turned to leave. Tears stung my eyes as I whispered softly, "And to think I was in love with you…" I then ran off.

Sora found me in an empty, unused classroom later after the final bell had rung, looking like an emotional wreck.

"Roxas!" he gasped, and ran over to where I was curled up in a ball in the corner with my ears back and my tail wrapped around myself, crying. "Roxas, what happened?!"

"I…I beat him up, Sora…" I whimpered, shaking. "He called me a freak, and I-I snapped…"

"Oh my god, Roxas, I'm so sorry!" my brother wailed, and he hugged me tight to him, trying to calm me down. I sobbed into his shoulder, unable to control myself. Eventually, I cried myself out. Sora helped me up, and we went outside the room, where Riku found us.

"Whoa, what happened?" he demanded as he ran up to us.

"I'll explain in the car. For now, let's just go to our house," my twin told him urgently. They helped me to Riku's car, and Sora comforted me in the back seat while Riku took a longer route home.

"Mind telling me what happened?" the silverette asked from the driver's seat as he drove.

"Axel knows that I know about his past, and he cornered me about it," I mumbled. "Then he called me a freak, and I snapped. He tried to fight me, and I…beat him up…"

"Shit…Seriously?" Riku said, and I nodded. "Zexion told us when you and Axel had left about Axel's past, but I didn't think that he would try to beat you for it."

"I just can't believe he called you a freak," Sora growled, obviously pissed off. "He deserved that." I was silent, still hurt and upset with Axel and myself. I couldn't believe that he had called me a freak, and that I had reacted that way. Finally, we arrived home, and Sora helped me out from the back seat. When we walked in the front door, I heard Mom cry out from the living room when she saw us.

"Oh my god! Roxas!" she gasped, and ran over to the three of us. "What happened?!"

"Axel called Roxas a freak and Roxas snapped and beat him up for it when Axel tried to hit him," Sora told her, and Mom sighed.

"Oh no…" she whispered. After a brief moment of thought, she said, "Sora, Riku, please take Roxas up to his room for some rest. I'm going to make him some vanilla chai tea to calm him down and help him sleep."

"Okay," Sora nodded, and I felt him and Riku lift me as I stared ahead, my blue eyes unseeing, and they carried me to my room. When they placed me on my bed, I instinctively curled up under the blanket, clenching my eyes shut in an attempt to block out the heartbreak I was feeling. It was stupid, I know, but I was trying to not feel the pain.

A few minutes later, Mom came into my room with a cup of chai tea in her hands. She sat down on the edge of my bed and stroked my hair and ears soothingly. "Honey, I'm so sorry about what happened to you…" she murmured. "I never thought that would ever happen, even though I don't know him."

"…He knows that I know…about his past," I sighed. "Ask Sora, he'll tell you. I don't want to talk about it right now…"

"All right. I understand. All I ask is that you drink this before I leave your room," Mom nodded. I gave a tiny nod before sitting up slightly, my ears still back, and sipped at the tea a couple times before drinking all of the contents. When I finished, Mom gently took the cup from me, kissed my forehead, and then left my room.

As I curled back up into a ball, wrapping my tail around me tightly, I felt tears sting my eyes again. I felt broken, unwanted, and unloved, even though my mind knew that wasn't true. My mind told me I was loved and wanted by my friends and family, but my heart screamed those negative feelings. Shaking, I closed my eyes shut tight, and cried myself to sleep.

X*X*X*X*X*X*X

I stayed in my room for almost the entire week, just drowning and wallowing in my misery. Mom checked on me a couple times throughout each day, but she knew it was best for me to be left alone. Eventually, by Friday, while both Mom and Dad were gone, Dad at work and Mom grocery shopping, I emerged from my room to shower. In the end, though, I decided to make it a bath. I had been in my room for a good four days, only leaving to drink water, use the bathroom, and occasionally eat, and I stunk by this point.

As I stepped into the hot bath water, my mind continued to think about Axel and how much he hates me. Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes as I sunk into the water, and my ears lowered again. I just sat there, curled up in a ball, crying. I felt pathetic, but I couldn't stop myself from feeling this despair. I probably sat like that for about a half an hour.

Eventually, I started to wash myself off, and then stood and washed my hair beneath the shower spray as the tub drained. I got out from the shower when I finished, my tail drooping and my ears lowered. Wrapping the towel around my waist, I dried off slowly, and then got dressed in a pair of boxers, jeans, and a t-shirt before going to my room again.

I sat down with my sketchbook on my bed and began to draw, something I sometimes do when upset. As I drew, the picture began to take shape into a furious, attacking dragon. Flames dripped from his jaws as he lunged, his fangs bared to deliver a killing bite, and his claws poised to strike like a snake. He had his tail positioned to snatch something if it was shot at him, and his wings were flared wide. His eyes burned with intense fury, yet there was pain in them, too.

A sudden knock from downstairs sounded, and I hesitated before leaving my room. It couldn't be Mom or Dad, because they come inside through the garage, and it couldn't be Sora because he has a house key. Who could it be? My answer came to me when I unlocked the door and opened it.

"Axel…?" I breathed in shock. I quickly made to close the door, but he braced himself against it, preventing me from closing it.

"Roxas, wait, I just want to talk," he said hurriedly.

"That's what you said last time, and look what happened!" I yelled at him, my fury springing back to life. "You pretty much broke my—" I quickly shut my mouth before I could reveal too much.

"Broke your what?" he asked, pushing against the door. I froze for an instant, terrified that he would despise me even more if I even uttered what I had meant to say. I pushed harder to try and close the door.

"I'm not going to say it, because it'll kill me!" I shouted at him, tears forming in the corners of my eyes. His emerald eyes widened in sudden realization, and his gaze saddened.

"Roxas, I'm sorry," he murmured, relaxing slightly. "I didn't realize that I had hurt you like that…"

"Shut up! Just shut the fuck up!" I screamed at him, the tears now flowing freely down my cheeks. "Leave me alone! You broke me, and you broke my heart! I thought I was in love with you, but I was wrong!"

"Will you just stop for five seconds and let me talk?!" he shouted, and I paused, glaring at him. "I wanted to see you so we could talk about what happened on Monday, okay? Can I please talk to you?"

"And if I don't like what you're saying?" I growled, flattening my ears.

"Then I'll leave you alone," he swore, and my tail flicked in agitation.

"…Fine. But we're going to talk here," I said firmly. He nodded, and I let him inside. I was playing it cool on the outside, but inside, I was freaking out and having a small panic attack. I was terrified that he would say something cruel, but I wasn't certain.

We sat down across from each other in the living room, but I refused to make eye contact.

"All right, tell me what you wanted to say," I muttered, and lowered my head.

A/N: Finally updated! Now to work on the next chapter! Sorry about the cliffy, though…R&R, peeps!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I apologize for the cliffy earlier, but I wasn't sure how else to end the chapter. I got so much backlash for that one…Anyway, here's the continuation. Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story.

Odd One Out

Chapter 5

"First, I want to apologize for calling you a freak," Axel murmured. "Second, I want to apologize for trying to hit you."

"…What else?" I asked bitterly. "I know those aren't the only reasons you came over here."

Axel was quiet for a long time, his expression unreadable. I looked up at him, watching him warily. One of my ears folded back, and he sighed.

"Roxas, the main reason I wanted to come over was to ask you about what you said before you left me on Monday," he said softly. "You said that you were in love with me. Is that true?"

I hesitated before answering in a small voice. "…Yes…" Axel seemed to contemplate this, taking his time before answering.

"Do you still feel that way?" he questioned. I nodded slowly, watching him. "I just wanted to make sure before I go any farther."

"What do you mean?" I whispered. I honestly was confused at to what he meant.

"I…I'll be honest, Roxas. I've had feelings for you since the first day we met," he admitted quietly.

"Wait…you've…liked me this whole time, but you…called me a freak anyway?" I asked, the hurt in my heart growing. "Why would you do that?" Tears budded in the corners of my eyes as I spoke.

"You know what happened to me, and because of that, I didn't want to hurt you in a relationship because of my past," he explained. "I wasn't thinking, and my instinct was to push you away. I'm sorry…"

I was silent, his words sinking in, and Axel watched me with a sad expression.

"I understand if you hate me for what I said," he murmured, and I looked at him sharply.

"Axel…you hurt me, and most people wouldn't forgive you for something like that," I said, and he looked down, ashamed. "But I'm not like most people. I can forgive."

"So…you're saying you forgive me?" Axel asked, and I nodded, giving a small smile. He got up and walked over to me, sitting down next to me on the couch. Grasping my hands in his own, he told me firmly, "I swear to you, Roxas, I will never hurt you again. Can you trust me on that?"

"Yes," I nodded with a smile, and he leaned in and kissed me softly. I wrapped my arms around his neck, purring, and he chuckled as he pulled back.

"Never heard a neko purr before," he remarked, amused.

"Speaking of which, I thought I was the only neko in existence?" I said.

"There are other nekos out there, Roxas, but they're not registered as nekos in any records. That's why you're the only one on record right now," Axel told me. I nodded in understanding, leaning against his chest.

"So…this means we're dating now, right?" I questioned, and Axel laughed lightly before answering.

"Yes, Roxy, we're dating," he whispered in my ear, making me shiver slightly. His whispering in my ear tickled, and I couldn't help but let a laugh and purr escape me. "Damn, I never thought you purring could be so hot." I blushed in response to his words.

"Hush you," I mumbled, feeling the heat in my cheeks spread to the tips of my ears.

"What? It's true!" he laughed. Suddenly, the lock to the front door clicked, and we looked up as it swung open to reveal Sora walking in.

"Hey, Roxas!" he called, but then he noticed us sitting together on the couch. "Why's Axel here? I thought you were pissed at him?"

"…Um…Axel came over to apologize, and…" I trailed off, uncertain how to explain. "I confessed that I was in love with him…and he admitted that he loves me, too, and…yeah."

"So you're a couple now?" my twin asked eagerly, grinning widely.

"Yeah, he's mine now," Axel smirked.

"Holy shit! We're telling Mom and Dad about this one! ...Or rather, _you_ are, Roxas," Sora told me.

"Wanna stay for dinner and meet my parents?" I offered, turning slightly to look at my new boyfriend.

"Sure, I don't see why not," he shrugged.

"Awesome! I'll text Mom and let her know we're having a guest over!" Sora chirped, and he scampered off to his room to change his clothes and text Mom.

"What're your parents like, anyway?" Axel asked me once the brunette was out of earshot.

"Oh, they're awesome," I replied. "Mom is so sweet and gentle, and she always gives the best advice. She's the one who helped me realize that I love you. Dad, on the other hand, is the best. He helped teach me how to fight in self-defense, and he's almost as great of a cook as Mom. He's sometimes quiet, but it's only when he's angry about something. Push him too far, though, and he'll explode."

"He's not gonna be mad at me, right?" the redhead questioned.

"Nah, not once I explain," I assured him. "He was pissed off when he found out why I was upset, so he'll be pissed when he first sees you, but I'll try to explain before he can get inside. He should be home by 4." I glanced at the clock; 3:55 in the afternoon. Dad's gonna be home soon.

"Should you warn him now? Before he gets home?" Axel asked, looking worried.

"No, he doesn't answer his phone while driving," I shook my head. "He tries to avoid getting into accidents, but he'll answer if it's an emergency."

"Gotcha," he nodded. "I understand." We cuddled for a couple of minutes before I heard Dad's car pull into the driveway. Hopping up, I told Axel to wait on the couch while I ran outside to greet Dad.

"Hi Dad!" I called when I got outside. "How was work?"

"It was fine. What's got you all happy?" he asked with a slight grin and a raised brow.

"Well, before you go inside, I have something to tell you," I began. He motioned for me to continue, so I explained. "Axel came by today, and he wanted to apologize to me for Monday. After some pushing, we discovered that we each love the other. I accepted his apology, and now we're dating. He's inside right now, so please don't rip him a new one, okay?"

"…You truly love him?" he asked.

"Yeah, I really do," I replied. "And he loves me. As long as we're happy, you know?"

"All right, I won't," Dad agreed. "But only if he doesn't hurt you again. If he does, then I will." I nodded in agreement, but a bit nervously because Dad doesn't make idle threats. "Okay, let me meet your new boyfriend." I nodded again, and led him inside.

"Hi Dad!" Sora cried out as we walked in. He looked at me. "I take it you told him already?"

"Yeah, and I'm about to introduce him," I grinned. I looked back to Dad. "Come on, he's waiting for us in the living room." I tugged his hand lightly, and led the older blonde into the living room. Axel immediately stood when he noticed us walk in, and walked over to Dad.

"Hello, I'm Axel," the redhead greeted politely.

"Nice to meet you, Axel," Dad replied, shaking his hand firmly. "I'm Cloud Strife, but just call me Cloud."

"Awesome," my boyfriend grinned.

"So you're staying for dinner?" Dad asked him.

"Yeah, if you're okay with it," Axel nodded.

"Of course. Anyone my sons are friends with or like, I'm fine with that," the older blonde smiled.

"Can I tell Mom really quick?" I asked Dad eagerly, my ears perked. Chuckling, he nodded, and I dragged Axel up to my room to call Mom.

"Why do you have to call your mom, Roxy?" he asked, making me blush at the nickname.

"Because I want to tell her the news about you and me dating now, silly," I laughed. "Besides, remember, I told you that she helped me realize I'm in love with you."

"Ah, good point," he remembered. He sat down on my bed and waited patiently while I dialed Mom's number. I quickly pressed the speaker button as soon as she picked up.

"Hello?" Mom's voice said.

"Hey Mom, it's Roxas," I greeted.

"Heya hun," Mom replied. "What's up?"

"Guess what?" I said.

"What?"

"Axel came over today to apologize for Monday, and we ended up confessing that we love each other, and now we're dating!" I told her.

"Oh my gosh! Really?" she gasped.

"Yeah, and Dad's home and he already knows. I had to explain or else he probably would've beaten Axel up because of Monday," I added.

"Yes, very true," Mom giggled. "Well, Sora did tell me we would be having a guest tonight, and I thought it was Riku, but I wasn't sure. Good thing you told me, so that way I'll know how much to get. Congratulations, honey, I'm so proud of you for telling him. And tell Axel thank you for me, okay? I love you!"

"Love you, too, Mom! See you soon," I said.

"See you," she replied, a smile in her voice. I ended the phone call and turned to Axel.

"It seems she already likes me," he smirked.

"Of course she does," I snorted. "Like Dad, Mom trusts anyone we trust. Our parents know we don't judge, and besides, they trust our judgment with our friends."

"Good to know," he nodded. I sat down beside him on my bed, and he wrapped his arms around me gently, pulling me close to his chest.

"Someone's affectionate," I teased, purring with amusement.

"How can I not be? You're too cute, Roxy," he chuckled. I blushed, my ears twitching at the comment, and I looked away to try and hide it. "Don't hide that blush from me, Roxas. You're simply adorable when you blush."

"Hush, you," I muttered, embarrassed, and hid my face against his chest. Axel merely chuckled again before merely holding me in a comfortable silence. Eventually, around six that evening, I heard Mom's car pull into the driveway, and I shifted slightly in my boyfriend's grip. "Axel, my mom's home. Wanna meet her?"

"Sure thing, Roxy," he nodded, and he let me go from the warmth of his chest so I could get up. I hopped to my feet and waited for Axel by the door, my tail waving eagerly. When we got downstairs, Mom was just walking in the front door, carrying a couple of big bags of groceries.

"Here Mom, let me help," I offered, and quickly took one of the bags from her.

"Oh, thank you, honey," she told me gratefully. "Those were heavy." She looked about, and then noticed Axel. "Oh, you must be Axel!"

"Yup, that's me," he grinned. "Nice to meet you."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Axel," Mom told him. "I'm Aerith Strife, but just call me Aerith." She shook his hand gently. "Are you boys hungry?"

"Yes, definitely!" I chirped. "What's for dinner?"

"French bread pizza," she smiled.

"Awesome!" I cried out. Turning to Axel, I said, "French bread pizza is good. We make our own sauce and spread it on usually two or three slices of French bread rolls, and then put some cheese and our own toppings on, then bake it. It's always delicious."

"Sounds like it," the redhead chuckled.

"You'll definitely like the sauce, though," I added. "We make it ourselves. Sure, it's canned tomato sauce, but we add some special seasonings and things to it to make it taste better."

"Cool, I can't wait to try it," he said eagerly.

"We're doing French bread pizza?!" Sora shrieked from upstairs. Suddenly, he bolted down to the front door to join us. "OH MY GOD, YES!"

"This is Sora's favorite dish," I whispered to Axel. "Back away slow." We carefully backed away from Sora, and then dashed to the kitchen, where Mom began to fix dinner.

"Need help, Aerith?" Axel offered, and she nodded.

"How about you boys chop up olives, onions, and bell peppers while I make the sauce?" she suggested.

"Sure thing, Mom," I agreed. I pulled out the knives, cutting boards, and veggies she had requested, and then we began to cut them up and put them in bowls. When we finished, Mom was slicing the French bread rolls in half along the side lengthwise, and then she brought out the bag of mozzarella cheese. We all prepared our pieces of French bread pizza, and then once it was all done baking, we sat down at the table to eat dinner.

Dinner went surprisingly smoothly, all things considered, and when we were done eating, Axel had to go home.

"I'll see you on Monday, then?" I asked when I shut the front door behind us.

"No," he said. My ears lowered, and my eyes widened in shock. "I'll see you tomorrow, Roxy." I smiled softly, my ears perking up, and I hugged him.

"I love you, Axel," I whispered into his chest.

"Love you, too, Roxas," Axel murmured back, resting his chin on my head. After a few moments, he pulled away and gave me a small piece of paper.

"What's this?" I asked.

"My cell number," he replied. "Add it to your phone and then text me tonight, that way I'll have your number, too."

"Okay, I'll text you before I go to bed," I promised.

"Cool. I better get home before I'm too tired," he said, and kissed my lips lightly before leaving.

"See you, Axel!" I called after him, and saw his wave of farewell in the dark. I went back inside once I couldn't see him anymore, and then got ready for bed. It was already 10:15, so I needed to get to sleep. I added Axel's number into my phone, and then text him saying, _Goodnight, and I love you~_

I got a reply right before I fell asleep, and I checked it. It read, _Goodnight, and I love you, too, Roxy._

A/N: Sorry about the late update, everyone! I've been really busy, and on vacation, so I'm sorry I didn't post this sooner! I was working on this chapter in bits and pieces while on vacation, so that helped. Anyway, R&R, peeps!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Gah, I needed to update this, and I'm SOOO SORRY I didn't do it sooner! I've been busy with school, writing other fics, family drama, studying for tests, work, etc. Anyway, I'll try to keep this one going, I promise. And I've gotten a couple of flames for this fic, which I don't exactly appreciate. I almost considered taking the fic down because of them, but I realized it's not worth it. So please, if you have nothing nice to say, please don't say anything at all, flamers. Also, a small time skip. And…HAPPY AKUROKU DAY! Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story.

Odd One Out

Chapter 6

X*X(4 Months Later)X*X

It was finally our 3 week Christmas break, and boy, was I excited! I was going to stay with Axel during the break, but we were going back to my house for Christmas Eve and Day. It was great because I would get some quality alone time with Axel, which I hadn't gotten since we confessed to each other. The only bad part about the whole thing was that I didn't know what my boyfriend had planned for us during the break. Whenever I asked, he would just tell me it would be something special.

Well, anyway, I was busy packing my things for when Axel picked me up for the break, when I heard the redhead's car pull into the driveway. Grinning evilly, I silently snuck downstairs, past Sora and Riku, who were cuddling on the couch, and quietly opened the front door.

"Hey, Roxy, what's up?" Axel asked as I made my way over to him through the snow.

"I'm gonna scare the shit out of Sora and Riku," I laughed softly. I informed him of my plan, and Axel smirked and quietly followed me into the house. We snuck up behind the cozy pair before shouting as loud as we could right behind them.

"ACK! WHAT THE—?! SON OF A BITCH!" Sora shrieked, bolting up from his spot on the couch. He whipped around and saw us, and we fled to my room, locking the door. Axel cackled evilly as I rolled on the floor, laughing. Sora pounded his fist on my door, trying to break it down.

"Roxas! I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" he screamed through the door.

"Try me!" I laughed, but then I noticed Axel had a teasing glint in his eyes. I glared at him warningly, my ears back against my head. "Don't you dare!" Unfortunately for me, he did. He began to tickle me.

"ACK! AXEL, NOOO!" I wailed, trying to kick him off through my laughing fit.

"You're too cute to not do this, though, Roxy!" he chuckled, and sped up the tickling.

"NUUUEEESSSS!" I cried out, and I could faintly hear Sora and Riku laughing through the door. "AXEL, STOP! PLEASE!"

"But, Roxy! I love how adorable you are like this!" he smirked, but he stopped anyway. I was breathing harshly, and my cheeks were flushed.

"Damn you…" I grumbled as I sat up, still trying to catch my breath. Axel pouted until I hugged him. "You should know better to not tickle me…"

"I told you earlier, you're too cute, Roxas," he grinned, and kissed me between my ears.

"You're lucky I love you, or else I'd beat the shit out of you for tickling me like that," I pointed out to him, but purred softly from the kiss.

"True, true," he nodded, and rested his chin on my head. After a couple of minutes, I heard a giggle from outside my bedroom door.

"Do you think they're making out?" Sora asked Riku, and I could practically hear the grin in his voice.

"No, 'cause then Roxas would be moaning," Riku replied.

"What do you think they're up to?" my brother wondered aloud.

"Shut up! We're cuddling here!" I snapped, and Sora laughed.

"Suuuure, Roxas. You keep telling yourself that," he giggled. I reluctantly pulled away from Axel and stormed to the door, unlocking it and wrenching it open to see Sora's startled face.

"Jeez! You don't know when to take a hint, do you?!" I spat. "Five second head start, and then you're finished." The brunette paled and bolted as I mentally counted to five. As soon as I hit five, I raced after him, my cat tail streaking behind me as I ran. I caught him trying to hide in the basement, so I darted over to the door, yanked it open, and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.

"Roxas! Please don't kill me!" he begged, his blue eyes as big as dinner plates. I growled at him, about to shake him slightly, but then the doorbell rang. I dropped my brother, curious to know who could be at the door right now, and went downstairs to see. As soon as I saw who it was through the peephole, I cried out excitedly and quickly opened the door.

"Aunt Yuffie! Ventus!" I greeted, and hugged my identical cousin eagerly, despite the fact that he was cold and wet from the snow outside. "What are you doing here?"

"We're here for the holidays!" my aunt grinned. "Your parents invited us for the break, and we wanted to see you guys again."

"And I wanted to finally meet your boyfriend," Ventus grinned, waggling his eyebrows at me.

"Hush, you. No tricks on him, Ven, please?" I pleaded, and he sighed.

"Oh, fine. But only because you're my family," he agreed, and began to walk in, taking off his boots as he entered. Yuffie followed, pulling off her boots, too.

"Hey, Roxas, who's there?" Sora asked as he came downstairs with Riku and Axel trailing after him. However, he squealed when he saw Yuffie and Ventus. "Aunt Yuffie! Ven!" he shrieked, and streaked down the rest of the way, smacking into our cousin with a tackle-hug.

"Heya cousin," he greeted, laughing, and then looked up to see Riku and Axel. "Hi Riku. And who's the redhead?"

"That's Axel, my boyfriend," I smiled, and went to said redhead and dragged him over. "Axel, this is my cousin, Ventus, and my aunt, Yuffie." I gestured to them each in turn as I said their names.

"Nice to finally meet my nephew's boyfriend," Yuffie giggled, shaking hands with him. "I've heard a lot of good things about you from Roxas."

"Yeah, and about how caring you are," my cousin added.

"Good to know I've made such a good impression on Roxy's family," Axel grinned, and pulled me close to him, kissing me between my ears again. "Anyway, sorry to say hi and then bolt, but we've got to get going here soon, Roxas."

"Oh yeah! Okay, let me just finish packing, and I'll be right down!" I said, and ran upstairs to throw the last of my stuff into my bags, and then threw my messenger bag over my shoulder, grabbed my suitcase, and then ran back downstairs.

"Ready?" Axel asked as I joined him by the door.

"Yup!" I chirped, and Ven looked at me, puzzled.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"Oh, I'm staying with Axel at his place for the break, but we'll be here for Christmas Eve and Day," I explained. "After that, I won't be back until the day before school starts again."

"Oh! Speaking of which, Mom and I are moving to Twilight Town, so I'll be in school with you guys!" he told me as I pulled my hoodie on.

"Seriously?!" I gasped. "That's awesome, Ven!" I hugged him again once I had zipped up my hoodie. "Tell me more later, okay? Axel and I have to get going, but we definitely need to talk about it!"

"All right, sounds good," he nodded. "You two go, we'll talk soon."

"Okay, see you, Ven! See you, guys!" I waved, and Axel helped me out to the car with my stuff. Once we got into his car and pulled out of the driveway, he laughed lightly. I gave him a puzzled look. "What are you laughing about?"

"Just watching you interact with your cousin. It was pretty cute," he chuckled as we pulled up to a stop sign.

"Don't let him hear you call him that," I warned. "Ven hates to be called cute. He almost punched me in the face for it once."

"Thanks for the warning," he smirked. "I'll keep that in mind when it's Christmas Eve and Day."

"It's your funeral," I muttered. My redheaded boyfriend merely chuckled once more as we pulled into a driveway to a small house. I gazed up at the cozy-looking home as Axel put his car into park.

"Well, we're here," he said, and turned off the ignition. "What do you think?"

"I'm not even inside and I love it!" I cried out happily, purring. Axel rubbed me behind my ears, and I purred louder. He then noticed a deep red Honda Ridgeline in the garage, and growled. "What's wrong?"

"Dammit, my older brother Reno is home," he grumbled.

"I didn't know you have an older brother," I said.

"And with good reason. He's a pervert, and a major flirt. I won't be surprised if he makes you blush within three minutes of entering the house," he told me.

"Well, how come I'm staying with you if you're so worried about Reno?" I asked.

"Because he's supposed to be on a business trip with his partner," he replied, sighing. "Well, I guess I better bring you inside, or else he's gonna come out here."

"Um, okay," I murmured, and followed my boyfriend inside with my stuff, my ears flat against my head.

"Reno! I'm home! And I brought Roxas with me! Don't try anything funny!" Axel shouted when we got inside. I pressed close to him as another tall redhead sauntered in. This guy was a little taller than Axel, but just as lanky, with bright red hair that was pulled back into a low ponytail. He had red tattoos on his cheekbones, one under each eye, emerald green eyes like Axel, and wore a pair of goggles that rested on his forehead. And then he spotted me.

"Hello there," he purred, and walked up to us. Axel glared at his brother heavily as Reno bent down slightly to look me in the eye. "So, you're the neko my baby bro has fallen for, huh? Well, you're certainly a looker." I blushed lightly, trying to hide into Axel's side, but failing miserably.

"Reno, back off, would ya?" Axel barked at him.

"Aw, I'm just teasing him, Ax," Reno grinned. "You did good, though. He's definitely cute."

"I get it, now stop! He's getting uncomfortable," my redhead snapped. I curled my tail around me a bit, and Reno shrugged.

"All right, yo. Whatever you say. I gotta get going anyway. Rude's waiting for me," he said, and then added with a cheeky grin before leaving, "Have fun, just don't wake the neighbors!" Axel slammed the door after him, and then turned to me with a sigh.

"Sorry about him. I was trying to avoid having you meet him until it was absolutely necessary," he muttered.

"It's okay," I murmured. "He's pushy, isn't he?"

"Yeah, but as long as you know to try and avoid him, you should be okay," he laughed. "All right, let's get your stuff in my room."

"I'm staying in your room?" I questioned, tilting my head to the side cutely.

"Yep. Is that okay?"

"Sure," I shrugged, and followed him to his room with my bags. Externally, I was fine, but internally, I was kinda panicking. I never mentioned the time I was nearly raped, did I? No? Well, let me share that one.

When I was 13 years old, an older guy by the name of Saix tried to rape me. He was a sick and twisted bastard, and he's the reason my dad taught me how to fight. It was also because of him that I nearly died. I fought back when he tried to rape me, so he beat me to within an inch of my life. When police discovered me, they got me to an ambulance as soon as humanly possible. While I was in the hospital, pretty much the entire community came together and sent in donations for the bill for my recovery. This is why everyone accepts me as a neko. Not because they're forced to, but because they feel bad about what happened to me with Saix. Saix was given the death penalty, and has been dead for three years now. I hadn't shared a bed with anyone since the incident, and with good reason: I'm scared that I'll relive the memories of my experience. Now, I had recovered well from my ordeal, but I hadn't had any triggers, so that helped.

"Hey, you okay?" Axel's voice snapped me out of my thoughts, and I looked up at him. "You zoned out on me there."

"Oh, sorry," I murmured.

"What were you thinking about?" he asked, and I internally cringed at the question. I didn't want to tell him yet, but he also needs to know. I sat down on the bed with him before speaking.

"Something from my past," I began. At his questioning look, I elaborated. "Three years ago, I was nearly raped by a man named Saix. When I fought back as he was about to rape me, he beat me to within an inch of my life. Police found us, and arrested Saix and got me to the nearest hospital as quickly as possible. Saix was given the death penalty while I was treated for two cracked ribs, a fractured arm, a broken calf, multiple cuts and bruises, and some internal bleeding. I still have some scars on my back from where he kicked me. Ever since, I've never shared a bed with anyone because I was afraid that I would have flashbacks." Axel was quiet for a little bit, absorbing this new information, and then he hugged me tightly.

"I'm so sorry, Roxas," he murmured in my ear. "I had no idea. You behave so normally, like nothing ever happened to you, but that's obviously not the case."

"It's only because I've had no triggers," I mumbled, hugging him back.

"Well, since that's the case, I'll sleep on the couch," he said softly. I looked up at him, surprised.

"But, I don't want to make you sleep on the couch, Axel…" I protested. "That's not fair to you."

"I don't mind, Roxy," he smiled softly at me. "You're my guest and boyfriend. You deserve my bed."

"But…what if I want you to share the bed with me?" I asked quietly. He looked me in the eyes, watching my expression carefully.

"Are you sure about that?" Axel questioned. "I don't want to scare you. That's the last thing I want."

"I'm sure. I don't want to be alone when I've never been here before," I told him, and hugged his waist, nuzzling his chest with a small purr.

"Okay, as long as you're comfortable with it," he smiled. "What should I do if you end up having a flashback, though?"

"Just try and wake me up, and then comfort me, 'cause I'm sure I'll be crying and upset," I shrugged. Out of nowhere, I felt a pang of hunger in my stomach, and I gave Axel a pouty face and mewed pathetically. "Can we get some dinner?"

"Sure thing, Rox," he laughed lightly, ruffling my hair and ears. "How do grilled ham and cheese sandwiches sound?"

"Sounds good!" I chirped, and followed him into the kitchen. Axel fixed us each a grilled ham and cheese sandwich with some macaroni and cheese on the side, and then we sat down on the couch and watched TV. When we finished eating, my boyfriend took the dishes into the kitchen and put them in the dishwasher before rejoining me and pulling me into his side. He pressed his lips to my temple.

"I love you, Roxas," he mumbled against my skin.

"I love you, too, Axel," I whispered, turning my head to kiss him back. We began to make out, and he ended up hovering over me as I lay on the couch. My eyelids slipped closed, and I shivered lightly as he slid his tongue into my mouth. When he felt me shiver, though, he carefully pulled back. I opened my eyes and looked up at him curiously. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. I just don't want to push you into having sex," he smirked, and I blushed.

"I understand," I muttered, embarrassed. The redhead chuckled softly before sitting back up and looking at the time. I followed his gaze to see it was 9:06 at night.

"Tired?" Axel asked, and I nodded, suddenly feeling the exhaustion wash over me. "All right, let's get ready for bed, then." He picked me up, bridal-style, making my eyes go wide in surprise, and carried me up to his room. When he set me down, I grabbed some pajamas and scurried off to the bathroom to change. By the time I had returned, Axel was already changed and in bed, waiting for me under the covers. I crawled in under the blanket with him, snuggling into his side as he wrapped his arms around me.

"Goodnight, Axel. I love you," I murmured tiredly.

"G'night, Roxas. Love you, too," my redhead replied quietly, and turned off the light, kissing my forehead before going to sleep. I closed my eyes, going to sleep as well.

A/N: Sorry about the short chapter, but I want to update all of my Kingdom Hearts fics by AkuRoku Day. This is the third one done, now to work on the other three! Wish me luck! R&R, peeps!


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